


Bowling NIght

by deliriumbubbles



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 18:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5939323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliriumbubbles/pseuds/deliriumbubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bowling night in 2012 and in 2015, LeRoy notices one of Rachel's young friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bowling NIght

_March 2012_

Kurt took a step forward, his back arched and his weight on his toes. His shirt, white with red and blue stripes running horizontally, managed to fall loosely around his slim waist while still clinging to his budding biceps. Meanwhile, his jeans were nearly painted on.

Another step, and in a fluid motion, he moved his arm back, crooked his right leg behind his left, and then spun the ball down the lane forcefully.

LeRoy felt a hitch in his breathing. All but two pins went clattering down.

“Did you get that?” Kurt half turned, still posing on his left foot.

“It still looks complicated to me,” LeRoy admitted. 

The other kids hung around the table, talking and laughing.

“Dad!” Rachel called. She waited a moment for LeRoy to turn his head, and then launched herself forward in a parody of the graceful motion Kurt had just made. 

LeRoy darted forward a few steps when she almost fell, but Finn had her before she could even properly stumble. Not for the first time, he was glad that Hiram had been ‘busy’ at work. It was too much to think of what Hiram would’ve said about all of Rachel’s little friends.

It was odd, her wanting to have a bowling party, but as far as parties went, at least he could keep an eye on them, and they wouldn’t be breaking into the liquor cabinet.

“Do you wanna watch me pick up the spare?” Kurt asked.

LeRoy turned back to Kurt to see him already holding the sparkling purple ball. “Where did you learn all this?”

Kurt chuckled.

“Kurt’s good at all kinds of sports,” Puck said smugly. When Rachel had picked Finn first to be on her lane/team, Puck had snapped up Kurt. He’d looked just as proud of it then, too.

“I’m just good at high kicks,” Kurt breezed. “ _This_ I learned from my mom. We all used to go when I was a kid. It was the only sport my dad didn’t have to drag me to. It’s almost like dancing.”

He faced the lane again, squaring up his hips, then in what seemed like an effortless trick, shot the ball down the lane once more, with a bit of a spin. It curved as it rolled down, knocking over the remaining pins.

LeRoy clapped his hands.

Kurt arched a brow. “Your turn.”

LeRoy shook his head and sighed. He’d never learned this. He went to the ball return and scanned over his options. Puck, Mercedes, Tina, and Mike cheered behind him.

“Here.” Kurt appeared behind him, holding a large blue ball. 

LeRoy picked it up and weighed it in his hands.  
  
“The one you were holding was way too light a big guy like you. You need it to be a bit heavier, to help it get down the lane,” Kurt explained.

“Sounds… reasonable.” LeRoy tried putting his fingers inside and faced the lane as the pins reset.

Then, heat rushed up his neck. Strong hands were on his hips.

“You have to keep your hips straight. It’s all about form. If you start off wrong, it’ll just end up in the gutter,” Kurt explained.

“It’ll be half a miracle if I can keep anything straight,” LeRoy joked. His heart was nearly in his throat.

Kurt laughed softly. 

What was this kid, seventeen? He was eighteen now, wasn’t he? Surely?

LeRoy let out a slow breath as Kurt retreated to watch. LeRoy cast a glance over to Rachel, but she was back at the table with Finn.

“Eye on the prize, old man!” Puck called.

“We wanna win!” Tina cheered.

LeRoy shook his head again slowly. 

“Just…” Kurt stood beside him and slowly posed with his foot behind him, moving his arm back and forth to show LeRoy how to do it. His jeans hid nothing of the muscular dancer’s thighs and backside that seemed to have developed overnight.

Good God, this kid _had_ to be eighteen by now. 

LeRoy lifted his chin, firmly pushing those thoughts out of his mind, and tried to focus on  _bowling._ Of all things, he wasn’t going to emotionally cheat on his husband with a _child_.

“Okay. Let’s get this over with,” LeRoy said. 

He was more than well aware of Kurt, and the other kids, watching him with anticipation. He straightened his back, tried to do the same for his hips, and took a step forward-

Then he stumbled slightly as he swung the ball back, and it barreled forward and clattered into the gutter.

“Booo!” Santana cheered from the other lane.

LeRoy grimaced, then rolled his eyes at himself.

“Oh, can it! Not everyone’s a natural bowler,” Kurt said.

“Can’t help it! I’m suuuuch a leeeesbian.” Santana snapped her fingers, and Brittany hung her arms around Santana.

LeRoy furrowed his brow at them. Why did kids embrace stereotypical jokes these days?

“Well, I guess I’m a lesbian, too,” Kurt shot back.

“With _that_ haircut? And _those_ hips? Clearly,” Santana said.

“Okay, _enough_ , kids,” LeRoy boomed without thinking about it. Santana raised her brows, but he didn’t wait for what came out of her mouth next. “Make fun of the old man all you want, but lay off of each other. This is _just_ a friendly game. It’s not worth hurting your friends over.”

“Whatever. Sorry.” Santana looked at the concession booth. “Gonna go get some fried stuff.”

Quinn grinned at her, leaning her cheek on her hand. 

LeRoy reached for his ball, and then stepped back into place. Kurt stood next to him, watching seriously. 

“Am I straight?” he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching a little.

“As good as it gets,” Kurt replied. “Try counting to three.”

“Counting…?”

“It doesn’t really matter which foot you step off from, but getting a rhythm will make it less likely for you to over-think it,” Kurt advised. He bit his lower lip, bounced on his toes, and went back to the table with the rest of their team.

LeRoy watched them for a moment. Kurt was now looking a little anxious. The kid took this game so _seriously._

It made sense, though, LeRoy mused. He’d done this with his mother, after all.

LeRoy gave himself a shake and did as Kurt had suggested. _One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two-_

_THREE._

He stepped, swung, and unleashed the ball. Frozen, LeRoy watched it speeding down the lane. For a moment, he was sure it would land right in the gutter again, but at the last moment, it turned and collided with the pins.

“Ohh, split!!” Finn called.

“Who cares!” LeRoy laughed. “I hit some of them!”

Kurt leapt up and clapped his hands as he jumped up and down.

“Yay!” Rachel cheered.

“He’s not even on our team,” Quinn drawled.

“I don’t care!” Rachel came over and gave him a big hug.

“Berries don’t understand the competitive spirit,” Mercedes muttered, probably to Puck, who landed her a high five.

LeRoy stepped back to let Puck come up for his turn and petted Rachel’s hair. “Are you having fun, baby?”

“Yes! This is fabulous. I never knew I’d enjoy something so much when I’m so bad at it!” She was beaming like she was seven years old again, seeing Disneyland for the first time.

“You don’t have to be perfect at everything,” he replied in a low voice. “It’s okay to fool around and have some fun.”

LeRoy pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then let her go. Later they’d all be going back to the house for some cake, which had been specially ordered from La Baguette in Westerville, and he’d let the kids hang around and watch some movies. But for now, it was nice to be included. And it was very nice to see his baby girl surrounded by friends.

She talked excitedly with her team, and Santana brought back a plate of fries, which she at first refused to share, until Brittany whispered into her ear. At the other table, Kurt had pulled one leg up and was listening avidly along with Tina to whatever Mercedes was saying. He sipped on his Diet Coke through the straw, eyes wide.

LeRoy turned to watch the boys take their turns. Maybe with a little effort, he could catch on.

 

_February 2015_

“Your form has gotten better.”

LeRoy looked behind him to see Kurt Hummel approaching. He leaned back onto the table and smiled.

“Just practicing before my real competition showed up,” LeRoy shot back with a smile.

“Hm.” Kurt tilted his head to the side. “Do you remember senior year, when I tried to teach you-”

“I remember,” LeRoy said, pulling a bit of a face.

Kurt laughed. “You weren’t that bad!”

“Oh, I _was_.” LeRoy trailed his fingers over his ball. These days, he had his own. Somehow, after Rachel had gone to college, practicing his bowling had been a comforting activity on the nights when Hiram hadn’t come home. It was physical, but ritual at the same time.

Kurt set down his bowling bag and started to tie up his shoes.

LeRoy had  _never_ thought that he would be back here on a date with Kurt one day. But after the fighting, and the divorce, and visiting Rachel’s ragtag Glee club to show them “Theatricality” in a duet with Kurt, it seemed like the most natural conclusion. Sparks had flown when they sang together, and as it turned out, they did so no matter what Kurt and LeRoy were doing. Going out to dinner always made them vulnerable to that crazed principal who was far too obsessed with Kurt… as well as the prying eyes of people in this nosey town. And LeRoy knew Kurt would like _this_ date, no matter what happened between them.

“Okay, Berry. Let’s get this thing started.” Kurt sauntered toward the lane, his boyish hesitance gone. His jawline more cut than ever. His nascent muscles having bloomed in his chest.

What LeRoy could barely think of three years ago became utterly apparent: Kurt was undeniably handsome, clever, and fun. He brightened LeRoy’s life.

Kurt gave LeRoy a broad wink as he squared up in front of the lane to take the first set. Then, with as much fluid magic as ever, he stepped forward, swung his leg behind himself, and let the ball go.

A perfect strike.

Kurt turned to grin saucily at him. “I hope you’re a good sport. I have the tendency to _win_.”

LeRoy laughed deeply in his throat and came over to hug Kurt gently around the waist. 

“Well, I’m not giving up, if that’s what you’re implying.” LeRoy dipped his head forward and let their noses brush together. “But if you win, I’ll be just as happy to have gotten to spend the evening with you.”

Kurt’s teasing smile faded, and he frowned a little, as though he didn’t quite know what to say. What had he expected? LeRoy was never sure, unless he outright asked. At the moment, though, he just pressed a gentle kiss to Kurt’s lips and smiled as Kurt touched his back with those strong hands.

“Are we scaring the normals?” Kurt muttered when LeRoy pulled back.

“I couldn’t care less about that either. But we should probably get going, since there’s a time limit on our reservation here.” LeRoy turned to go get his ball, then half-swatted at Kurt’s firm, bitable ass.

Kurt let out a gasp of mock indignation. “You’d better get your head back in the game!”

“I’m at a loss already,” LeRoy said with false dismay.


End file.
